Dodgers limp to another poor finish

June 7, 2014

Updated 7:37 p.m.

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The Colorado Rockies' Brandon Barnes, right, celebrates his RBI-triple to drive in the winning run with teammates Charlie Culberson, front left, and Corey Dickerson in the 10th inning of the Rockies' 5-4 victory against the Dodgers on Saturday in Denver. DAVID ZALUBOWSKI, DAVID ZALUBOWSKI AP

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The Colorado Rockies' Brandon Barnes follows hits an RBI-triple to drive in the winning run against the Dodgers in the 10th inning on Saturday in Denver. DAVID ZALUBOWSKI, DAVID ZALUBOWSKI AP

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The Dodgers' Matt Kemp flies out against the Colorado Rockies in the fifth inning on Saturday in Denver. DAVID ZALUBOWSKI, DAVID ZALUBOWSKI AP

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The Dodgers' Andre Ethier went 2-for-5 with a run scored in the Dodgers 5-4 loss to the Rockies in 10 innings on Saturday in Denver. DAVID ZALUBOWSKI, DAVID ZALUBOWSKI AP

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The Dodgers' Hanley Ramirez, right, argues after he was called out on strikes by home plate umpire Alan Porter in the ninth inning on Saturday in Denver. DAVID ZALUBOWSKI, DAVID ZALUBOWSKI AP

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Dodgers center fielder Andre Ethier attempts to catch the triple hit by Colorado Rockies' Brandon Barnes that drove in the winning run in the 10th inning of the Rockies' 5-4 victory on Saturday in Denver. DAVID ZALUBOWSKI, DAVID ZALUBOWSKI AP

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The Dodgers Tim Federowicz hits a three-run home run during the seventh inning on Saturday in Denver. JUSTIN EDMONDS, JUSTIN EDMONDS GETTY IMAGES

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The Dodgers' Tim Federowicz is greeted at home plate teammates by Justin Turner (10) and Andre Ethier after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning on Saturday in Denver. JUSTIN EDMONDS, JUSTIN EDMONDS GETTY IMAGES

The Colorado Rockies' Brandon Barnes, right, celebrates his RBI-triple to drive in the winning run with teammates Charlie Culberson, front left, and Corey Dickerson in the 10th inning of the Rockies' 5-4 victory against the Dodgers on Saturday in Denver. DAVID ZALUBOWSKI, DAVID ZALUBOWSKI AP

DENVER – Dodgers manager Don Mattingly has lamented recently his team’s inability to gain any “traction” and get rolling in a positive direction. He might just be thankful that no one is in traction at this point.

On a day that saw one coach taken to the hospital and their two most dynamic players leave the game because of injuries, the Dodgers wasted a rare comeback only to lose in extra innings again, 5-4, to the Colorado Rockies on Saturday afternoon.

It was the Dodgers’ 11th extra-innings game this season. Brandon Barnes’ RBI triple in the 10th for the Rockies handed the Dodgers their eighth loss in those 11 games and their seventh in their past 10 games overall. They have won consecutive games just four times since May 2.

As thoughtful and analytical as any player in the Dodgers clubhouse, right-hander Zack Greinke had no explanation for the Dodgers’ muddling along just one game over .500 now (32-31).

“Honestly, I don’t know that,” Greinke said when asked after the latest loss. “We probably should be winning a little more games than we have. I’m not going to say we should be winning way more but we probably should have a slightly better record than we do have. Wouldn’t be too upset if that was the case.”

Greinke might be too circumspect to say it. But the Dodgers have been taking one step back for every one step forward mainly because of their poor defense and an offense that has been reduced to two players — Dee Gordon and Yasiel Puig, both of whom left Saturday’s game because of hip injuries.

Neither is considered serious (though Puig is likely to sit out at least one game after hurting his right hip flexor on a fourth-inning slide) — and the Dodgers better hope they aren’t. Once those two left the game Saturday, the highest batting average on the Dodgers’ active roster belonged to Clayton Kershaw (.267).

At least he’ll be in the lineup Sunday .

Saturday’s offense was confined to one inning. Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin shut out the Dodgers for six innings. In the seventh, though, Chacin walked Matt Kemp to start the inning and gave up singles to Andre Ethier and Justin Turner to lose the shutout.

Reliever Nick Masset replaced Chacin and Dodgers catcher Tim Federowicz jumped on the first pitch he threw, driving it into the left-field seats for a three-run home run to give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead.

Had that lead held up, it would have been only the second time in 25 games that the Dodgers won after trailing at the end of six innings. It didn’t.

In the bottom of the seventh, Drew Stubbs chopped a ball toward third base. Turner bare-handed it and threw wildly to first base, allowing Stubbs to move into scoring position with two outs. Corey Dickerson cashed it in for the Rockies with an RBI single to tie the game.

That was the 31st unearned run allowed by the Dodgers in 63 games this season. Only two teams — the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks — have allowed more.

The game stayed tied despite a leadoff triple by Kemp in the eighth inning. The next three hitters — Ethier, Turner and Federowicz — each grounded out (twice with the infield in), failing to advance Kemp.

“Probably the big inning there is in the eighth,” Mattingly said. “Matt leads off with that triple. That’s where you’d like to put a run on the board and be able to get to Willy (Brian Wilson) and hopefully Kenley (Jansen) the last two innings.

“You know it’s an opportunity that you let get away. That’s the main thing. Obviously, you’ve got to think about the next inning. You can’t sit around and think about that. But you kind of make a mental note in your mind that that was an opportunity you had right there, a good opportunity to score.”

It proved costly. Chris Perez pitched the 10th for the Dodgers and allowed a one-out single to Justin Morneau. After Michael McKenry struck out, Barnes hit a drive off the wall in center to score the winning run.

COACH INJURED

Dodgers assistant hitting coach John Valentin was injured before Saturday’s game when he was hit in the left eye by a ball. The Dodgers did not take batting practice on the field Saturday, hitting in the batting cages under the stands instead. Valentin was hit by a ball that ricocheted.

He was taken to a hospital, examined by doctors and underwent a CT scan. No fracture was found and Valentin’s vision checked out fine. He was back at the team’s hotel by the end of the day and is expected to travel to Cincinnati for the next series.

“Everything’s been as positive as it can be so far,” Mattingly said. “At this point, it sounds like … he was fairly lucky. At least from what we’ve heard so far.”

REHAB STARTS

Right-hander Chad Billingsley is scheduled to start for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, re-starting a minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment that was aborted after just one start in early April. Billingsley is scheduled to throw approximately 30 pitches.

Recovering from Tommy John surgery last April, Billingsley's rehab process went smoothly until he started a rehab assignment on April 6. He threw one inning for Rancho Cucamonga but felt discomfort in his elbow.

The original diagnosis was scar tissue from the surgery pulling loose but Billingsley had also developed tendinitis in his elbow and received a platelet-rich plasma injection. After a couple weeks, the tendinitis cleared up and Billingsley resumed his throwing program.

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